Clausewitz’s most famous saying about war, that it is the continuation of politics (policy) by other means.

Here is the passage in full:

24. WAR IS A MERE CONTINUATION OF POLICY BY OTHER MEANS.

We see, therefore, that War is not merely a political act, but also a real political instrument, a continuation of political commerce, a carrying out of the same by other means. All beyond this which is strictly peculiar to War relates merely to the peculiar nature of the means which it uses. That the tendencies and views of policy shall not be incompatible with these means, the Art of War in general and the Commander in each particular case may demand, and this claim is truly not a trifling one. But however powerfully this may react on political views in particular cases, still it must always be regarded as only a modification of them; for the political view is the object, War is the means, and the means must always include the object in our conception.

The Source includes quotes from observers during the era.

Precisely one hundred years after the death of Islam’s prophet Muhammad in 632 — a century which had seen the conquest of thousands of square miles of formerly Christian lands, including Syria, Egypt, North Africa, and Spain — the scimitar of Islam found itself in the heart of Europe, facing that continent’s chief military power, the Franks.

The Muslim hordes, which reportedly numbered 80,000 men, had ravaged most of southwestern France, slaughtering and enslaving countless victims. On Oct. 10, somewhere between Poitiers and Tours, they met and clashed with 30,000 Frankish infantrymen under the leadership of Charles Martel. An anonymous medieval Arab chronicler describes the battle as follows:

[…]

Entirely consisting of wild headlong charges, the Muslim attack proved ineffective, for “the men of the north stood as motionless as a wall, they were like a belt of ice frozen together, and not to be dissolved, as they slew the Arab with the sword. The Austrasians [eastern Franks], vast of limb, and iron of hand, hewed on bravely in the thick of the fight,” writes one chronicler. The Franks refused to break ranks and allow successive horsemen to gallop through the gaps, which Arab cavalry tactics relied on. Instead, they tightened their ranks and, “drawn up in a band around their chief [Charles], the people of the Austrasians carried all before them. Their tireless hands drove their swords down to the breasts [of the foe].”

[…]

The aftermath “was, as all cavalry battles, a gory mess, strewn with thousands of wounded or dying horses, abandoned plunder, and dead and wounded Arabs. Few of the wounded were taken prisoner — given their previous record of murder and pillage.” The oldest sources give astronomical numbers of slain Muslims, with only a small fraction of slain Franks. Whatever the true numbers, significantly fewer numbers of Franks than Muslims fell in that battle. Even Arab chronicles refer to the engagement as the “Pavement of Martyrs,” suggesting that the earth was littered with Muslim corpses.

That’s a mighty long way to sling that large bullet, but it shows what time and ingenuity can do.

At SurvivalBlog, this is an excellent two-part post. A very brief history of the Boer Wars is offered then it’s almost exclusively weapons, ammo, purposes in use, and personal firearms considerations. Great stuff, tons of data, with much to consider and debate.

Part One

Part Two

Excerpt from Part Two:

Around here, .30-06 is more common than .308 Win.  The second most popular in my neighborhood is 6.5 Creedmoor (6.5CM), then 6.5×55, and lastly a wildcat for the AR platform, the 6.5 Timberwolf. Ideally, we would be best off to standardized on .308 Winchester. Yet .30-06 is still king in these woods. It is time tested and found to be the best all around cartridge CONUS, good for mouse to moose, and the occasional Griz, because it can shoot the heaviest .308 caliber bullets with a 1:10 twist rate barrel.

The .30-06 can also punch out a flat shooting 175 grain bullet at 2,800fps with H4831sc, H4350 powder, or other similar powders. It is appreciable flatter shooting than .308 Winchester, and far flatter than .308 Winchester’s military version, 7.62×51 NATO.  Yet we do pay the price in terms of a punishing level of recoil. Therefore, my ideal long range rifle would be the 6.5×55 cartridge in a modern action capable of 60,000psi with 29 inch bull barrel attached, however that rifle is only a dream rifle.

“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” – Matthew 16:16

This surely is the place to start. Jesus answering Peter says: “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” – Matthew 16:18. Upon the fact that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God is the Church built. Jesus is the Rock (1 Corinthians 10:4), and the chief (first) cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-21) being the Christ of God Almighty.

“22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” – Ephesians 1:22-23

“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” – Colossians 1:18

Jesus Christ is the head over all things to the Church, which is the body. Seems fairly simple.

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” – Matthew 18:20.

We learn that where two or more believers are gathered, there is Jesus with them. This is an assembly (Hebrews 10:24-25) of followers of Christ.

Excerpt from Essential Christian Instruction Part Four:

“For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” – Romans 12:4-5. “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.” – 1 Corinthians 12:27 See also: 1 Corinthians 12:12

A local church is a body of believers. All followers of Jesus are His Church, sometimes referred to in Scripture as the body of Christ. The church of Jesus Christ is not a church building. When the members refuse to serve, they make the body lame and dysfunctional retarding the growth of His church by slowing the spreading of the Gospel to every tongue. God has a job for you to do that the body may be whole. That’s what the early Church did everywhere they went, including this example from Acts at Antioch.

“And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” – Acts 11:26

Prior to this, Christians were referred to as those [serving] “in the way” [of Christ].

Scripture also refers to a church when discussing one particular group of believers that assemble together, such as those at Antioch, Corinth, or Ephesus.

As best we can reckon, “house of God” appears 88 times in the KJV, a few of those times are in the New Testament, but only one of those is not a reference to an Old Testament instance:

“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” – 1 Timothy 3:15

According to the Holy Bible, the house of God is the church of the living God, a fact we’ve already rightly established; this is the Church, the body of Christ. It’s not a building. Paul, to Timothy, and by application to Pastors, Deacons, Bishops, and Preachers today, and by extension, all of us saints must behave ourselves fittingly of men and women that are in Christ Jesus as a member of the body of Christ. 1 Timothy 3:15 is not about a building; it’s about a temple not made with hands (Acts 7:47-5o): “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16. We are Christ’s house: see Hebrews 3:6. The same penman who, inspired of God, wrote 1 Timothy 3:15 also wrote Ephesians 1:21-22. There are no contradictions in the word of God.

The temple was specifically destroyed by Christ so that you might NOT build an altar to him anywhere but in your heart, the true altar being in Heaven (Revelation 5:9-14). Worship in a building ended in 70AD, ushering in a new and better covenant (Hebrews 8:13). I personally don’t begrudge folks that gather in a building, and we don’t think God does either; it’s out of the elements and away from distractions, after all.  But there is no more temple, no more house of God, and the wicked term used by the government and others that seek control by denoting all religious establishments as “houses of worship;” that term is repugnant to the clear word of God. There’s only one God and one Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5)! In those ‘houses of worship,” they worship what, they know not, and more likely they worship the devil himself.

See: The Preeminence Of The New Covenant And Abolishment Of The Old Covenant

Ye are the temple of the living God. The American Church is at the point where they have rejected the New Covenant in Christ’s blood. To be sure, nothing good will come of that.

——-

Disclaimer number one: The owner of this Blog has never expressed to me an opinion about church incorporation. The below are not the views of this Blog or its owner. Nor do I endorse any of the linked organizations.

Disclaimer number two: I’m not a lawyer, nor do I play one on the internet. Do your own research about the laws of men. I can, however, tell you that beyond the shadow of a doubt, the body of Christ seeking government to usurp in any way the form or functions of God or His authority, or that of Christ over His Church, is a violation of God’s Law-word in the First Commandment (Exodus 20:3).

Here’s the Wikipedia about the Johnson Amendment.

The amendment is named for then-Senator Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas, who introduced it in a preliminary draft of the law in July 1954.

Key graph (Wikipedia quoting the code. Bold in the original):

(3) Corporations, and any community chest, fund, or foundation, organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, or educational purposes, or to foster national or international amateur sports competition (but only if no part of its activities involve the provision of athletic facilities or equipment), or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, no substantial part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation (except as otherwise provided in subsection (h)), and which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.

And that is the crux of the law. As further background, a very popular pastor disgusted with Johnson’s Texas politics was railing against him from the pulpit. Johnson didn’t like it, of course, as it might have cost him his true aspirations of the White House, so he introduced this law. No more railing against the government from the pulpit was allowed.

Importantly, a group of believers in no way must register or take tax status. Under the First Amendment, the Church of Jesus Christ, that is, the body of Christ is immune to taxation.

The first amendment:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Obviously, the Johnson Amendment violates the establishment clause. Congress made a law narrowing the scope of religious activity to something that can have zero effect on morality and the good order of civilization. This puts the Johnson Amendment in direct conflict with Jesus Christ under the mission of the Great Commission.

Three bodies are ordained in God’s created order: Church, Family, and State. The Church of Jesus Christ is to be the foremost moral authority and influence upon civilization. Government can no more be the moral authority than pigs can fly. Nor can the State raise children to be productive and moral citizens; that’s the function of God’s ordained Family. A quote from God’s Church, Family, State:

“The Church (body of Christ) is restorative. Only God can change a man’s heart, filling him with the fruit of the Spirit to make him a minister and servant of the good. The family, not the State, is preventive in the proper training and raising of the generations.”

I contend that at the root of the problem is property. A local body cannot buy a property without collateral (the body) and a property tax stamp which requires them to become an organization. The body of Christ, at this point, ceases to function under the Law of God, has taken a new master in the Government, and usually does so in order to take yet another master; a Banker, by seeking debt slavery to tend property forsaking the Great Commission given by Jesus Christ to go into all the world teaching and preaching the Gospel.

I further contend that the Church was nationalized by Constantine in the early 300s, “granting” the Church property. This wrecked the true Church. It was the first attempt to take over the Church by changing its mission from conquering the world in the name of Jesus Christ to settling down and tending to property, becoming a passive fraud with many government strings attached to the “free” property.

Some still see Constantine as acquiescing to the Church and consider what happened then to be a good thing. I strongly disagree, for unless the Church takes up arms and rules by force of Law over the Government, the converse will always happen, and I in no way endorse a Church ruling over men at the point of a sword because we are all sinners. I do, however, fully endorse the Church taking over the government under the Great Commission: by converting its people and otherwise populating every government position and seat with true believers that have the Holy Spirit of God in them. That’s the Bible way! Not only is “our” government incapable of ruling in the righteousness of Christ without a moral and religious people but neither can any government.

Once the Church comes under Government purview, as it did then and now again under the Johnson Amendment, it ceases in every way, shape, form, and manner to be the Church of Jesus Christ. It has become a creature of the State. Jesus is the King and shall have no co-equals; no man will ever rule Him! The Johnson Amendment, cleverly but by a different approach, has done the same here in the United States that wrecked the early Church in the 300s. Many consider what happened to the early Church as having later brought the dark ages by allowing paganism and all manner of depravity into the body; with this, I agree. The devil isn’t stupid, evil, yes; dumb, no! Many figure that a new dark age is on the horizon; how could they be wrong?

An interesting take is presented here about IRS 501(c)3 incorporation. Excerpt:

Organism or Organization?

Is the body of Christ an Organism or an Organization? An organism is a living thing. I am living, and I am part of the body of Christ. The body of Christ is the church. An incorporated Church is not an organism, but an organization. An organization is a creature of the State, and as such must hold allegiance to the creator of their organization.

All those who join with an organization that is under corporation status accept the debt of that organization, and become subject to that debt of another. I do not need to tell you what scripture tells us about this debt. Borrowing money, for expansion, from the ungodly bankers, is not a biblical principle and, as such, cannot be blessed by God.

Black’s Law Dictionary, 5th Edition, defines ‘organization’ as a “corporation or government subdivision or agency, business trust, partnership or association…or any other legal or commercial entity”. This definition shows that an organization (even if it functions as a church) is recognized as commercial and public; an incorporated Church is legally interpreted as a commercial entity. But didn’t Christ say “make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise” (John 2:16)?

The real benefit the 501(c)(3) Church looks for with incorporation is the ability to borrow large amounts of debt capital [debt is not capital, fyi]. This enslaves every man, woman, and child whose name appears on the membership roles of the Church. How can this be? Because every officer and member of the Church pledges themselves as surety for the commercial debts of the Church, whether they know it or not. Why is this? Because the member’s name that appears on the Church rolls is a beneficiary of the Church ‘services’, which are also construed as commercial by the government (the term ‘service’ is a commercial term, and means either to get paid for an occupation, or it means an act giving assistance or advantage to another, which results in a benefit). Additionally, the ‘tax-deductible contributions’ are further evidence of the commercial connection to the corporation.

A maxim of law states: “He who accepts the benefit must also bear the burden,” meaning if one accepts any benefit of the incorporated Church one is liable for the debts and acts of the church leadership. If the Church is sued and a cash settlement is ordered by the court, there is virtually no limit as to how far the court can extend its power to collect from the members, even if they are not the officers responsible for committing the civil crime. “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mat.11:30).

“Although it was once said that ‘a corporation is not indictable, but the particular members are‘ [Anon., 12 Mod. 559], it is now well settled that a corporation may be indicted for omission to perform a public duty imposed upon it by law.” Reg. V. Birmingham & G. Ry. Co., 3 Q.B. 233; New York & G.L.R. Co. v. State, 50 N.J.Law 303, 13 Atl. 1, affirmed in 53 N.J.Law, 244, 23 Atl. 168.

In Jesus’ day, the chief priests bound themselves to Caesar (John 19:14-15). Who were they a priest of? Caesar. Who did they minister for? Caesar. Who does the 501(c)(3) Church now minister for? “We have no king but Caesar.” They have a United States flag in every one of their Churches. “We don’t make political statements from the pulpit anymore, we don’t ever preach against the one for whom we minister. We don’t want to lose our tax-exempt status!” So, we had fascism in Christ’s day, the same fascism we have today.

A local church I briefly attended was working toward planting another church in the same county. A prayer request sent to me and hundreds of others by the pastor spoke of finding a location under God’s calling and creating a “pioneer” team for that job, and the letter included this:

We spent much of last week finalizing the papers necessary to file for incorporation and 501(c)(3) status. This is tedious but very important work. These papers begin to establish the DNA of the church, and they are crucial prerequisites that set us up for the next set of milestones. Please pray that the filing process will go smoothly and quickly.”

Read that again carefully, and let it sink in. The very DNA of that church was not established in the deity of Christ; God’s only begotten Son by His perfect DNA spilled on the earth in His blood sacrifice for the salvation of His people and soon coming restoration of all things in the new heaven and the new earth. That church is not wed to Christ in the New Covenant. Nope… not at all. It says the DNA of that church is government organizational incorporation under tax-exempt status. That is disgusting! As far as I know, those people never objected, and they soon planted their church. I, needless to say, left. Who is Jesus Christ if He isn’t the DNA of His own Church!?! Even the use of the word DNA denotes a body in creation!!!

An interesting take is on this video (skip to 22:45 – 38:30).

A better one is here: Pastor John Weaver, The Bible and Treason. If you love the word of God, watch the whole thing. It’s a rich and interesting study. If not, you can skip ahead to about the 40:00 minute mark and watch to the end. Also, he cites a legal case, Hollis(sp?) v Marshall(sp?), 1981, about State Street Baptist Church in Kentucky, but we couldn’t find the decision using a simple web search. Perhaps someone enterprising or a lawyer can find it for us.

We encourage you to do your own research on the state of the American Church, 501(c)3 status, and to pray to God that He would guide you in this matter.

“1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; 2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” – Hebrews 8:1-2

First of all, I don’t shoot Remington ammunition.  I consider it to be rather weak tea most of the time.  It isn’t awful, but there’s nothing special about it.

Second, that muzzle velocity for .45 ACP is quite low.  There is much stouter stuff around (Underwood, Double Tap, Buffalo Bore, etc.).

Third, I still think in many cases ball ammunition is a fine choice for personal defense.

History, Leaders, Warfare, Weapons, Strategy, and Tactics, what’s not to like!?!

This podcast, happily, doesn’t cover current events or the news, but we gained a much greater understanding of what’s shaping up in Europe now, because of the definitions and history provided by Mr. Buppert. Americans don’t realize it yet but a regional war has already started in Europe. History books always tell you there were two sides to a war. That’s an oversimplified position based on the post-war moral view of the winner. However, Mr. Buppert’s description of regional conflict being a multiparty and rather messy affair is spot on.

If you don’t follow this podcast, though he isn’t covering current events, I suspect you will not understand the war that’s now breaking out in Europe. You must discover the modes of war in terms of the larger human interaction of conflict. Also, when whites war, for some reason beyond me, they all start fighting each other. This war will likely go “global.” If you simply follow the “news” about the fighting, you will be dumber than doing nothing at all.

Instead of writing a review, which we’re tempted to do, it’s enough to say that we enjoyed it and learned plenty, even from this simple introduction. Looking forward to the next installment. Listen to the podcast, or die in ignorance!

USS Ford, CVN-78, is ready for action.

You (and we use that word with some regret) can build a ship, but can you fight with her? Are you even allowed to refer to her as her? The term Paper Tiger comes to mind.

The aircraft carrier is a 100-year-old concept. I suspect that today, after only one month of actual war, it would be realized that a new primary naval surface system and tactics would be needed. I’ve been at sea on the Lincoln CVN-72 and the Stennis CVN-74, though not as ship’s company (crew member). They are impressive in operation.

The Ford’s construction began in 2009, and it was formally commissioned in 2017. In 2008, when funding for the Ford was approved, it cost $13.3 billion. The ship was first declared operational in December 2021, though it suffered delays as work on technical problems, like weapons elevators, was still needed before it could properly set sail.

The Ford is the eleventh aircraft carrier presently in the fleet to enter active service, and it’s the first of the new design. The previous Nimitz-class carriers first entered service in 1975, with the most recent of that class joining in 2009. Eleven carriers is a lot, more than that of any other nation, though it’s also the minimum allowed by Congress. It’s a number that also does not include the Navy’s amphibious assault ships, in both Wasp and America classes, which have flight decks and are comparable in size to the aircraft carriers of other nations.

The Ford borrows a hull design from the Nimitz class, though it is somewhat modified. Internally, the carrier is redesigned to maximize both its utility and minimize long-term costs. This includes, most notably, the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), which replaces the steam catapults on earlier carriers. Steam catapults help planes get up to speed when taking off from the short carrier runways, pulling a cable that helps hurl the plane as it accelerates to flight. EMALS replaces the steam buildup and launch of the previous system for an electromagnetic rail, which can be reset and reused more quickly.

The EMALS is one of several systems developed for the Ford-class carriers that have had performance issues in development, necessitating repair and modification. Other design changes include replacing the hydraulic weapons elevators of the Nimitz system with electromagnetic motors, allowing more and faster movement of munitions to and from deck. There are 11 of these elevators on the ship, and all 11 were fixed after construction, with repairs continuing until December 2021, even as the Ford was conducting trials at sea.

[…]

The Ford class also includes a more powerful nuclear power plant, allowing it to run existing and future electronics systems. Another big change with the design is that the Ford class is designed to need about 800-1,200 fewer crew than a Nimitz class, saving space, labor costs, and ultimately, allowing the Navy to fulfill more needs on more ships with fewer people.

Here’s a rundown of weapons systems, capabilities (on paper), and capacities.

Referring to your ship as she indicates the mutual respect and dependency necessary to be at sea. Whether you like it or not, you’re married to her, and she’s the only one you’ve got. It’s not as though you can call 911 if something goes wrong. You take care of her, and she’ll be true to you, fighting every battle by your side through to the end. Some ships are good ol’ gals, and some are rotten stinkers that sometimes need a good kick to the pants. I always thought it interesting that each vessel seems to have her own personality, much of which is reflected in her by the very first commissioning crew. I refer to them as she; take me to the gulag if you think you can.

This is so heartbreaking:

The entertainment and legacy media present abortion as empowering, but that’s not the feeling that impelled one mother to agree to a medication abortion. “I was scared to death,” she told researchers.

The spirit of fear is not of God! (2 Timothy 1:7) Freedom from the Law of God and Bible Christianity has brought a lifetime of hurt, shame, and sorrow. The devil and his agents will tell you how free you can be from consequences, liberated to do as you please. But it’s all a lie. Plunged into the chains of bondage by sin is all you’ll get. The devil sells freedom, but he’s a slaver in disguise.

Even five [years] later, the woman — who still describes herself as “pro-choice” — says she regrets her chemical abortion. “Now I wish I would’ve just faced it all and had my baby,” she said. “I regret it still to this day and probably still will for the rest of my life.”

“I regret it every day and cry about it often,” said another woman one year after deciding to oversee her abortion at home. Far from making her feel independent, she said the overwhelming emotion she felt — and still feels — is “helplessness.”

God has reasons for stating plainly: “Thou shalt not kill.” – Exodus 20:13. And there are reasons for all of the Ten Commandments. He also has very good reasons for all that His Law-word declares to us; if only you would believe in His Son and keep His commandments.

God is not a petty tyrant desiring control: by ascribing the attributes of man to God, you become a rank pagan. The Romans had a god for each and every projection of a man’s actions; war, agriculture, hunting, and on and on. But the God of creation is holy, that’s His primary attribute, and that’s His very being.

God gave us His Law that it may go well with you! Please, we beseech you, be ye followers of Him, that it may go well with you. His laws come with the wonderful blessings in His promises of love, life, joy, and contentedness for those who hear Him and obey Him. We pray these women find peace in Christ before it’s too late.

Men, unless we get high-minded, we’ll remind that in God’s economy, the man is the head of the woman. Though these women are not without the guilt of murder, the blood of these babies is primarily on the head of the men that got them pregnant.

Via Instapundit

Outdoor Life.

Camouflage made in the U.S. might not sound novel, but it’s a rare product. If hunters are anything, as Fulks points out, they’re a patriotic bunch, emblazoning the stars and stripes on truck sides, bumper stickers and gun stocks. But look at the tags in your new pants, wicking shirts, and down jackets, and you’ll find very few modern-made garments that weren’t made overseas. While Origin isn’t the only company making camo in the U.S.—Forloh and Voormi also manufacture stateside—the company is coming to the public with a splash that includes big names, a high-profile social media presence, and the bootstraps, made-in-America origin story that consumers can’t seem to get enough of.

Roberts and Fulks say domestic production is a matter of principle: Clothing manufacturing can and should return home to the U.S. Other camo companies, like Kuiu, say it’s about the final product: If a Japanese company makes the best waterproof and breathable fabric in the world, then they’re going to source their materials from a Japanese company.

Aaron Snyder, co-owner of Kifaru, says it’s good to see someone else joining the made-in-the-USA game, though he’s reserving final judgement until he sees Origin’s camo in person. (The camo has been available for pre-order, but most consumers have yet to get their hands on the gear.)

“I think that they have an uphill road to hoe because it is a difficult thing to make clothing in the U.S. I think it can be done. We’re doing it and have been doing it for 30 years,” says Snyder. “Only time will tell what that final product will be and what the feedback will be from the end consumer. Are they going to come through and buy it? Is it going to be high quality?”

This is a difficult one, and I have thought a lot about it.

I hate to send my money overseas, and if I can avoid it and get the best product for the money in America, I’ll do that.  Ford still makes the very best trucks, especially the ones built in their Kentucky plant.  That may soon end because of the idiotic decisions by the Ford CEO to go all EV, laying off so many internal combustion engine workers.  That’s why the price of F-250s is so high right now, and still continuing to climb.  Everybody knows it’s a stupid decision and waiting until now to buy that new truck ended up being a costly decision.

So with Ford, at least until now, the best was combined with made-in-America, but also combined with high prices.  I have always opted for the higher price product rather than cut costs and be sorry later for owning a poor product.

The problem heretofore has been mainly the loss of the Christian work ethic, combined with unionized labor, combined with economic incentives to move manufacturing overseas designed to gut the American infrastructure by the politicians in favor of the economic engineers.  They want to bust corporations, make money, and have great products too.

But that just-in-time logistics chain has proven highly problematic, yes?  And the poor quality of foreign made components has caused the regulators to prohibit the use of those products where it matters, e.g., nuclear power, or ASME boiler and pressure vessel code work.

As it applied to this point in question, do you want to be in a tree stand with apparel designed for cold weather and freeze to death because the apparel sucks?  Do you want to be in the field with rain gear that soaks through in five or ten minutes?  Or are you willing to buy gear, part of which is sourced from a foreign company, that actually works?

I opt for the later.  I wish all the best to a startup trying to compete with the big boys, but the product had better be good.  Here’s a quick note to the company: I’d rather pay more for a product that works.  The cost is important, but whether the product works is supreme.